Swiss Chard, Bright Lights
Short Description
All-America Selections winner. A rainbow of color in a seed packet.
Full Description
This stunning chard seed mix has stems in gold, pink and crimson. A few plants will be white and pink striped, orange, scarlet, purple, green and white. All are delicious to eat, though they are at their best harvested young for salads. GARDEN HINTS: Easy to grow; eat it like spinach or beet greens. Pick from late spring until winter. Grows best in full sun and will tolerate light shade.
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Product properties
Days To Maturity The average number of days from when the plant is actively growing in the garden to the expected time of harvest.
60 days
Sun The amount of sunlight this product needs daily in order to perform well in the garden. Full sun means 6 hours of direct sun per day; partial sun means 2-4 hours of direct sun per day; shade means little or no direct sun.
Full Sun
Spread The width of the plant at maturity.
8 inches
Height The typical height of this product at maturity.
12-16 inches
Sow Method This refers to whether the seed should be sown early indoors and the seedlings transplanted outside later, or if the seed should be sown directly in the garden at the recommended planting time.
Direct Sow
Planting Time The recommended time of the year in which this product should be planted.
Spring, Summer
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Swiss Chard
Start Indoors Starting seeds indoors is called Indoor Sow or Indirect Sow and these dates are when to sow seeds indoors in the spring or summer
Transplant When to transplant bulbs or roots in the garden for spring
Start Outdoors Starting seeds outdoors is called Outdoor Sow or Direct Sow and these dates are when to sow seeds outdoors in the spring or summer
Start Indoors Fall Starting seeds indoors in the fall called Indoor Sow or Indirect Sow and these dates are when to sow seeds outdoors in the fall
Transplant Fall Transplant Fall-When to transplant bulbs or roots in the garden for fall
Start Outdoors Fall Starting seeds outdoors in the fall is called Outdoor Sow or Direct Sow and these dates are when to sow seeds outdoors in the fallFirst Date: Apr-18 - Last Date: Jul-11
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How to Sow
- Sow in average soil in full sun spring as soon as ground can be worked.
- Prepare the bed by turning the soil under to a depth of 8 inches. Level with a rake to remove clumps of grass and stones.
- Sow about 6 inches apart and cover with ½ inch fine soil.
- Firm lightly and keep evenly moist.
- Seedlings emerge in 7-14 days.
- Thin stand to about 12 inches apart when seedlings are 1-2 inches tall.
How to Grow
- Keep weeds under control during the growing season. Weeds compete with plants for water, space and nutrients, so control them by either cultivating often or use a mulch to prevent their seeds from germinating. Avoid disturbing the soil around the plants when weeding.
- Keep plants well watered during dry periods to promote rapid, uninterrupted growth. Plants need about 1 inch of rain per week during the growing season. Use a rain gauge to check to see if you need to add water. It’s best to water with a drip or trickle system that delivers water at low pressure at the soil level. If you water with overhead sprinklers, water early in the day so the foliage has time to dry off before evening, to minimize disease problems. Keep the soil moist but not saturated.
- If flower stalk appears, remove it to prolong the harvest.
- Monitor for pests and diseases. Check with your local Cooperative Extension Service for pest controls recommended for your area.
Harvest and Preserving Tips
- Begin harvesting leaves when they reach 5-6 inches or are large enough to use.
- Break off the outer leaves at their base, taking care not to damage the inner leaves.
- Plants that are harvested regularly will continue to produce new growth from the center of the plant.
- Both the leaves and stalks are edible raw, steamed, and sautéed, but avoid the lower 2-3 inches of the stalk as it may be fibrous and tough.
- Swiss chard may be blanched and frozen. Stems may be pickled.
Days To Maturity
60 days
Sun
Full Sun
Spread
8 inches
Height
12-16 inches
Sow Method
Direct Sow
Planting Time
Spring, Summer
Sow Time
2-4 weeks BLF
Thin
12 inches
Life Cycle
Annual
Swiss Chard, Bright Lights is rated
out of
5 by
19.
Rated 5 out of
5
by
Marjorie132 from
Happiness, in a seed packet!!
Sooooo gorgeous in the garden, soooooo delicious on my plate!! What a perfect name for these beauties! A joy to grow in the garden, these are hands down my favorite vegetables! So easy to grow, so prolific! I cut off one leaf, 2 more grows backs in its place, bigger and stronger than the last one! And... I just can't get over the colors!! Yep, happiness, in a seed packet!
Date published: 2017-10-02
Rated 5 out of
5
by
Rachel S from
Beautiful! Fast growing
I planted these in my vegetable box and 90% of them sprouted. Once they were juvenile the deer munched them but they kept on growing and they're growing strong! I could harvest these and I'd have more to harvest in a few weeks or less. Very fast growers and strong too. Not too many problems getting eaten by bugs and such, like my other plants are. Great colors too!
Date published: 2017-07-15
Rated 4 out of
5
by
Cole12 from
Slow Start, Strong Finish
Great color and adequate taste. Seeds germinate at a rate of less than 50% and seedlings grow very slowly and are extremely fragile and weak until about 2 weeks after they emerge.
Date published: 2017-02-02
Rated 5 out of
5
by
JessBirm from
Beautiful and tasty
I planted this from seed as a second summer veggie. This is my first year growing swiss chard. Germination was very good and easy to grow. The swiss chard is very vibrant in color and adds beauty to my black berry patch. Taste us superb fresh in a salad and sautéd with some garlic and wine. A definite staple to my garden.
Date published: 2016-09-27
Rated 5 out of
5
by
Sewinghra from
Bright and Tasty
Just love the color it added to my garden plus the taste was terrific for salads. Because of the colors, it really made you feel happy just looking at it. The eating was a plus.
Date published: 2014-09-21
Rated 5 out of
5
by
grandpa48 from
Amazing Swiss Chard
This is my first try at growing Swiss Chard and I am truly impressed. Like beets, they take a long time to sprout, but that may be because I planted them a bit early in the season. When they did come up, it was with a vengeance. The stalks are very colorful and the leaves are huge. I am a big spinach fan, but I like this even better. The flavor is similar but without the iron taste of spinach. Even the stalks are tender with no toughness or stringiness at all. So far, June 9, 2014, there is no sign of bolting or any toughening of the leaves and stalks, and my spinach has already succumbed to the hot Kansas sun. Being from the mountains of Kentucky where we eat almost every kind of green available, I love spinach, turnip, mustard, and the rest, but from now on, Burpee's Bright Lights Swiss Chard will be the one I plant the most of. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
Date published: 2014-06-09
Rated 5 out of
5
by
TexasPorch from
Nothing but good things to say!
I've grown these for several years in containers. I've had consistently great seed germination rates (Though sometimes they pop up a month or two after the rest!) and wonderful yields. The colors are fun, and double as a decorative plants. I've had neighbors ask me what I'm growing, because they want to put some on their porch!
The larger the container, the larger the leaves. If you just want small leaves for salads, then it's just fine to squish them together in a smaller container. But if you put them in a bigger container, whoa! They go crazy! They'll do just fine in full sun or part shade, and they pull through droughts and frosts just fine.
While they do get somewhat more bitter in the Texas heat, in the summer I simply stop using them raw or sauteed and instead make quiches. The Bright Lights look lovely in a quiche, the stems giving it colors all across the top.
Date published: 2013-12-09
Rated 3 out of
5
by
Kerry from
Not as described
Grew nicely. Tastes as it should. Did not contain all the color varieties described. As it grew, we discovered it was white, yellow (orange), and scarlet. There was none of the striped, none of the purple and very little of the scarlet. I specifically wanted the brightest, most colorful chard available and I was disappointed.
Date published: 2013-08-14